Apparatus for working water-tight doors.



APPLICATION FILED DEO.12, 1913.

Patented June 30, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0 wAsHlNuToh D SAWENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EDWARD ARMSTRONG, OF BELFAST, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR TO HABLANID ANI) WOLFF LIMITED, 0F BELFAST, IRELAND.

APPARATUS FOR WORKING WATER-TIGHT DOORS.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDWARD ARMSTRONG, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Queens Island Shipbuilding and Engineering l/Vorks, Belfast, Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvenients in Apparatus for lorking I'Vater-'Iight Doors, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to arrangements of the type in which the door closes by gravity and is opened by means of a worm and worm wheel.

According to this invention the worm wheel is loose upon the shaft by which the door is opened but can be connected to this shaft by means of a friction clutch. rI`his clutch is put into gear by a weighted lever and is thrown out of gear by raising the lever whereupon the door falls. The lever can be raised either by hand or by a bilge float or by an electro-magnet through which a circuit can be closed from any desired distant point. All three operations are performed by a single vertical rod which is slotted to receive the end of the lever. This rod is fixed to the armature of the electromagnet and has upon it collars with which hand operated and iioat operated levers engage.

|Ihe float has a small hole drilled in it both at the top and bottom which in the event of its being submerged for a longer time than is required to close the door, allow the float gradually to fill and sink, thereby putting the friction clutch again into action. Two pistons working in tubes filled with liquid in the door plate are provided to act as cataracts to prevent the door plate dropping too quickly.

Figure l is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of a watertight door arranged according to this invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a small part of Fig. l.

a is the door free to move up and down in guides Z) its fall being controlled by cataract cylinders c.

CZ is a rack fixed to the door and e is a pinion gearing with the rack and fixed to a shaft f.

g is a worm wheel loose on the shaft 7 but connected to it by a friction clutch h of ordinary construction.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application iiled December 12, 1913.

Patented June 30, 1914.

serial No. 806,311.

j is a lever pivoted at 7c. rI`he short arm of the lever j carries a screw Z the end of which bears against and operates the friction clutch 7L.

m is a weight carried by t-he long arm of the lever y'.

'1t is a worm fixed to the shaft o and gearing with the worm wheel g.

p is a handle by which the shaft 0 can be turned through bevel gear g.

r is a vertical rod loosely pivoted to the lever y' and having its upper end connected by a link s to the armature of a solenoid t.

u is a hand lever engaging with a collar fu on the rod 7'.

fw is a lever connected to a bilge float and engaging with acollar 1/ on the rod 1".

e e are holes at the top and bottom of the float 1What I claim is l. The combination of a door, vertical guides in which the door can move, a shaft, gearing connecting the shaft to the door, a worm wheel loose on the shaft, a worm gearing with the worm wheel, means for turning the worm, a clutch connecting the worm wheel to the shaft, a weighted lever normally pressing the clutch into gear, a vertical rod connected to the weighted lever, and a solenoid, a bilge float and a hand lever all connected to the vertical rod and each adapted to lift it independently of the others.

2. The combination of a door, vertical guides in which the door can move, a shaft, gearing connecting the shaft to the door, a worm wheel loose on the shaft, a worm gearing with the worm wheel, means for turning the worm, sa clutch connecting the worm wheel to the shaft, a weighted lever nor mally pressing the clutch into gear, a vertical rod connected to the weighted lever, a solenoid connected to the vertical rod, collars on the vertical rod and two levers op era-ted respectively by hand and by a bilge float engaging with the collars.

WILLIAM EDWARD ARlVlS'lRONGr` Witnesses:

SAXAR J. PAYNE, ROBERT G. TATE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

